Catholic Faith

Please browse on this page to find information about our class saints, Catholic Social Teaching and how we worked together towards achieving the Live Simply Award. 
Our Faith 
 
Our faith is central to all that we do at St Mary of the Angels.

Historically, Catholic schools were created to provide centres of education to develop literate, numerate, moral, confident, independent young children who could contribute and mould the future of our world, in line with the teachings of Christ. We work really hard to do just that.

At St Marys we have a mission, which hinges on the following statement:

'Recognising and celebrating, the presence of Christ in one another.'

We use many opportunities to celebrate successes and to build on areas for development in all pupils, seeing each other as created in God's own image and likeness.

Our comprehensive programme of religious education, coupled with the importance of Spiritual, moral, social and emotional development, progressively builds on children's understanding of their place in God's family.

We celebrate our Catholic faith whilst embracing the differing cultures within our school community. We work hard to instil values of kindness, self control, patience and trust.

We strive to ensure that all children achieve to the best of their ability because we recognise our God given talents and the need to share those with others and for the good of others.

Who is St Mary of the Angels?

St Mary of the Angels has many titles including Our Lady, Mother of God, Queen of Peace and Our Blessed Virgin. She is central to the Catholic faith as she is the mother of Jesus.

It is widely believed that Mary serves as the patron saint of all human beings, watching over them with motherly care, due to her role as mother of the world's saviour, Jesus Christ. Saint Mary is also the patron saint of groups that include mothers and travellers.

Her many feast days include:

  • 1 January - Mary, Mother of God
  • 11 February - Our Lady of Lourdes
  • 13 May - Our Lady of Fatima
  • 31 May - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • 15 August - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • 22 August - Queenship of Mary
  • 8 September - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • 8 December - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
  • 12 December - Our Lady of Guadalupe

At St Mary of the Angels we often reflect on the many characteristics of Mary - her gentleness, her humility and her total selflessness. We feel privileged to have her as our namesake and aim to be more like her.
 


Our House Saints

We have four House Saints, each represented by their own colour:
 
St Teresa of Calcutta - Blue. 
 
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St John Paul II  - Red.
 
 Pope John Paul II | Real Life Heroes Wiki | Fandom
 
St Francis of Assisi - Green. 
 
St Francis of Assisi - GodGossip
 
St Cecilia - Yellow.
 
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Class Saints 
 
 

All classes at St. Mary of the Angels have a devotion to their own class saint.

At the start of the year, the children learn about their saint and remember them in their class prayers throughout the year.

Nursery - Our Lady 

Feast of Our Lady Immaculate | Catholic Life

 Reception  - St Joseph 

 
 St Joseph  

St. Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to the earliest Christian traditions, he was a carpenter or woodworker. The Gospel of Matthew calls him a 'righteous man' meaning he was an observant Jew who obeyed God's law.

Joseph was engaged to Mary, but when he discovered that she was pregnant with Jesus, he decided to call off the marriage - but 'quietly' since the penalty for adultery was death by stoning. However, the angel of the Lord told him in a dream that he should go ahead with the marriage because Mary's child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

St Joseph's feast date is March 19th

Year 1 - St Francis Of Assisi 

St Francis of Assisi

As a young man, Francis liked to have a good time. His father was rich. But once, when he was sick, Francis heard our Lord calling him to leave the world and follow Him. Francis began to visit the hospitals and to serve the sick. He used to say, "When one serves the poor, he serves Christ Himself."

Francis put on the clothes of a poor shepherd and began to preach to the people about peace with God, peace with one's neighbour, and peace with one's self. He looked on all people and things as his brothers and sisters because they were all created by the same God.

Francis took twelve young men to Rome with him, and the Pope gave him permission to start a new religious order, the Franciscans. He also helped St. Clare to start the order known as the Poor Clares.

Francis had a vision in which he saw Jesus hanging on the Cross. The marks of the five wounds of Jesus were left in his hands, his side, and his feet, which remained with him all his life.

When Francis became very ill, he prayed, "O Lord, I thank You for the pains which I suffer." He died October 4 1226

St Francis of Assisi's feast date is October 4th

Year 2 - St Bernadette

St Bernadette

Bernadette's parents were very poor. They lived near Lourdes, in France. One day, in 1858, while Bernadette was gathering firewood, a beautiful Lady stood in a cave before her. She was dressed in blue and white, and there were roses at her feet. She smiled at Bernadette and asked her to say the rosary with her.

Bernadette saw the Lady eighteen times. Once the Lady said, "I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in heaven." Large crowds followed Bernadette to the grotto to say the rosary with her. They could not see the Lady.

The Lady asked Bernadette to scrape the earth. The miraculous spring of Lourdes started to flow. Many people have been cured from this water.

When Bernadette asked the Lady her name, the Lady looked up to heaven and said, "I am the Immaculate Conception." Her message was "Pray for sinners." She asked that a chapel be built near the grotto. Today this spot is a great shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Later, Bernadette became a nun. Her life was one of joy. She died, at the age of thirty-six

st Bernadette's feast day is April 16th 

Year 3 - St Therese of Lisieux

St Matthew

St. Theresa, who was often called the Little Flower, was born in Normandy in France. She had four older sisters and her parents were Louis and Zelie Martin. Theresa was a very lively, lovable little girl and her father called her his 'little queen'.

Yet she could also be too sensitive and irritable. In the story she wrote of her life, she tells how the Infant Jesus helped her overcome this weakness.

Theresa wanted very much to enter the Carmelite convent where two of her sisters were already nuns. But since she was only fifteen, they did not let her.

Theresa felt sure that Jesus wanted her to spend her life loving him alone. She kept praying and asking the superior to let her join the convent. She even dared to ask Pope Leo XIII himself to grant her heart's desire and finally she was allowed to enter.

Although she was only fifteen, 'Obedience, prayer and sacrifice' were her duty. She had a thirst to suffer for love of God.

Theresa had the spiritual courage of a real heroine. "May Jesus make me a martyr of the heart or of the body-or better, both!" she wrote. And she meant it.

In winter she suffered from the bitter cold and dampness of her plain bedroom. There were other kinds of sufferings, too. Whenever she was made fun of or insulted, she would offer her pain to her beloved Jesus. She would hide her hurts under a smile. She told Jesus to do with her whatever was his will.

Sister Theresa tried hard to be humble. She called her great belief in God her 'little way' to holiness. She always had a burning desire to become a saint.

The Little Flower died on September 30, 1897.

"O Jesus, my love, my vocation, at last I have found it. My vocation is love!

St Theresa of Lisieux's feast date is October 1st

Year 4 - St Anthony of Padua

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Saint Anthony was born Fernando Martins in Lisbon, Portugal. He was born into a wealthy family and by the age of fifteen asked to be sent to the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra. During his time in the Abbey, he learned theology and Latin.

Following his ordination to the priesthood, he was responsible for the abbey's hospitality. When Franciscan friars settled a small hermitage outside Coimbra dedicated to Saint Anthony of Egypt, Fernando felt a longing to join them.

Fernando eventually received permission to leave the Abbey so he could join the new Franciscan Order. When he was admitted, he changed his name to Anthony.

Anthony then traveled to Morocco to spread God's truth, but became extremely sick and was returned to Portugal to recover. 

As he recovered, Anthony spent his time praying and studying.

Anthony was a great  preacher.

So simple and resounding was his teaching of the Catholic Faith, most uneducated could understand his messages. It is for this reason he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946.

Once, when St. Anthony of Padua attempted to preach the true Gospel of the Catholic Church to heretics who would not listen to him, he went out and preached his message to the fish. . When critics saw the fish begin to gather, they realized they should also listen to what Anthony had to say.

He was only 35-years-old when he died and was canonized less than one year afterward by Pope Gregory IX. 

He is typically depicted with a book and the Infant Child Jesus and is commonly referred to today as the "finder of lost articles."

St Anthony is venerated all over the world as the Patron Saint for lost articles, and is credited with many miracles involving lost people, lost things and even lost spiritual goods

St Anthony's feast date is 13th June

Year 5 - Joan of Arc 

St Joan of Arc

Joan was born in France in 1412. She helped her brothers on the farm and often went to a nearby chapel to pray to Jesus.

When she was seventeen, Joan heard the voice of God calling her to drive the enemies of France from the land. Going to the king, whose army had been defeated, she asked for a small army. The king, believing that God had sent her to save France, gave her a band of brave soldiers.

Joan had a great love for Jesus whom she often received in Holy Communion. She also had a devotion to the angels, especially St. Michael. Joan went before the soldiers carrying her banner with the words 'Jesus, Mary'. The soldiers became filled with courage and drove the British army into retreat. Charles VII was crowned king of France.

Later, Joan fell into the hands of the British and remained in chains for nine months. Then she was taken to the marketplace of Rouen and burned to death. With her eyes on a crucifix, she cried "Jesus, Jesus," through the flames.

Joan of Arc's feast date is May 30th

Year 6 - A Communion of Saints

Communion of saints

 

 

St Mary of the Angels Church


St Mary of the Angels Church is situated on Whetstone Lane, very close to our school.

It is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and serves the Catholic community of Aldridge and surrounding areas well.

The parish priest is Fr Ramesh. He is  assisted by Deacon Peter, another well known figure in this well established, welcoming parish.

Also see: St Mary of the Angels Church website
 
Mass times:
 
Mass/Day Time
Sunday Mass 9.30am
Monday Mass  9.15am
Tuesday Mass 9.15am
Wednesday Eucharistic Service 9.15am 
Thursday Mass 7.30pm
Friday Mass  9.15am
Saturday Mass 9.30am
Saturday Vigil Mass 6.00pm
 
Sacraments 
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At St.Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School we are able to receive three Sacraments:

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation - Year 3
• First Holy Communion - Year 3
• Confirmation - Year 6

The children in Year 3 and Year 6 participate in a 'Mass of Commitment' at St. Mary of the Angels. This enables the children and their families to make a clear symbol of commitment and dedication to the sacramental programme.

 

 Year 3 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

 

 Reconciliation

 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is received by baptised Catholic children, usually during Lent.
All children, in Year 3, are included in the celebration of the sacrament and our inclusive ethos ensures that those children who are not Baptised Catholics, are able to participate as fully as possible, in supporting their classmates, during the programme.
By receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the children have a chance to say sorry to God for the things they have done that have hurt God, others and themselves. 

This Sacrament takes place at church in the school day. Parents and families are welcome also.  

The Sacrament of Holy Communion.

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Children in Year 3 receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Preparation takes place during R.E lessons during the school day, and parents are kept well informed, via meetings and letters home. Children who are not baptised are also fully included in all aspects of this preparation.  


The children receive their first Holy Communion during the summer term, at church during Sunday Mass; celebrated by Father Craig in the presence of the entire school and parish community.  All Y3 are invited to partake in this special Mass and other school pupils form the choir. A Mass of Thanksgiving and a Communion Breakfast, with many photographs, cake, strawberries and other goodies, is something the children really look forward to, also.

 

Year 6

The Sacrament of Confirmation

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Children in Year 6 receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Here, they learn to grow in faith whilst considering the role of the disciple in today's world. They are encouraged to select and research a saint who has inspired them in some way. A sponsor is also chosen and has the role of supporting the child in their spiritual life. The Bishop confirms the children at a very moving celebration, led by Y6. Those  who are not Baptised Catholics, are also invited to share in this special Mass and they also receive a blessing from the Bishop. 

Prayer 
 
Prayer plays a central part in the life of St. Mary of the Angels School.
All classes have a focal prayer table which changes through the church's Liturgical season. 
Children are encouraged to learn formal prayers suitable for their age groups as well as sharing prayers that are more personal.  

Formal Prayer

Each class has a set of traditional prayers they will be learning throughout the year. The children  will be saying them in class and are asked  to practice these prayers at home. Each child has a prayer book with these prayers in. Below is a link to all the prayers learnt across the year groups.

Child Led Prayer Services

Children at St Mary of the Angels are encouraged to lead prayer. Each Tuesday children take part in a class prayer service that is often planned and by children.  

 

The Mini Vinnies.

The Mini Vinnies are formed from pupils in Years 3 - 6. Their role is to support the liturgy and prayer life in school.

Each liturgical season  the Mini Vinnies monitor the prayer tables in all classes and provide feedback to the classes. 

To support the prayer life of the school, the Mini Vinnies also help their class to learn the prayers they need to know off by heart. 

 

 

Fundraising
 
At St Mary of the Angels, there is a culture of great generosity when it comes to raising money for those less fortunate than ourselves.
The Harvest Mass encourages children to donate their favourite food item to local food banks and give thanks for the food they are lucky enough to have to eat.
Throughout Advent children and staff collect items of food and toiletries for local food banks. We also donate Christmas presents which are distributed to families in need in the local area. 
At Christmas we raise money for local charities through the donations from Early Years and Key Stage One Nativity performances and Key Stage Two Carol services. 
During Lent, the children (and staff) work really hard to raise money for children in the third world, who really need our help. They collect sponsor money for the special activities they are completing during Lent. 


 

Gospel Virtues 
 

Like all schools in the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, we adopt the approach set out in the Jesuit pupil profile.

In the profile there are eight sets of words which have been paired together because of their complimentary relationship to one another.

Each half term, we focus on a pair of words and think about how we can grow more like Jesus in our daily lives

Gospel Virtues

 

Pupils at St Mary of the Angels are growing to be . . .

Grateful for their own gifts, for the gift of other people, and for the blessings of each day; and generous with their gifts, becoming men and women for others.

Attentive to their experience and to their vocation; and discerning about the choices they make and the effects of those choices.

Compassionate towards others, near and far, especially the less fortunate; and loving by their just actions and forgiving words.

Faith-filled in their beliefs and hopeful for the future.

Eloquent and truthful in what they say of themselves, the relations between people, and the world.

Learned, finding God in all things; and wise in the ways they use their learning for the common good.

Curious about everything; and active in their engagement with the world, changing what they can for the better.

Intentional in the way they live and use the resources of the earth, guided by conscience; and prophetic in the example they set to others

 

 
Catholic Social Teaching 
 
Catholic Social Teaching is based on the belief that God has a plan for creation, a plan to build his kingdom of peace, love and justice. It holds that God has a special place in this story for each of us, whoever we are. Our part in this plan isn’t just limited to things ‘spiritual’, or 'when we do religious things', but that it involves every aspect of our lives, from the things we pray about, to how we live as a responsible global citizens. Our part in this story is a kind-of vocation for the common good, a call to treat everyone as your brothers and sisters and is something that we all share.

The Catholic Church has seven principles of social teaching that we share with our children through all that we do, through the curriculum, special events, charitable works, activity and through our ordinary actions in school.
Below is a link to more details.

Pupil Voice about Catholic Life and Mission.

How does it make you feel to be part of this Catholic school? 

  • We are all different, but we all have something in common – God.  
  • It feels good. I feel included and welcomed and people treat me with respect. 
  • I feel safe because the statues remind me that Jesus is with me. 
  • Everyone is kind and I feel I can trust everyone to help me 
  • I am always trying to be like Jesus and make God proud.
  • We want to be Christ like

What do we do to show that we are a Catholic school? 

How do you show that you believe in God in your everyday life? 

How does your faith and teachings of Jesus impact on your actions? 

  • We spread God’s love by being kind. We forgive people and give them another chance we say sorry. We include people and give a friendly welcome.  
  • We know everyone is special and Jesus is in us all. 
  • We show good respect by listening
  •  When someone’s arguing I try to be a peacemaker and ask them to stop 

What have your learned about living simply? 

  • Live simply – only take what we need and be like Jesus in actions and pray. 
  • Live sustainably – treat the world respectfully. 
  • Live in solidarity – work hand in hand with others to help them – community and global – we are all part of God’s family. 
  • We have to look after God’s world, pick up the litter and save water
  • We have to help people we are in our community and the world

Strengths

  • All pupils from Yrs 1-6 are confident to articulate what is distinctive about our Catholic school. The children can clearly express how they are valued at the school and what makes the school distinctive. They feel happy, confident and secure.
  • Pupils are clear about why we are responsible for the world and why we need to help those who are not as fortunate.
  • Children are aware of the mission statement and what it means and can signpost where this is.
  • All children from Yrs. 1 -6 demonstrated a good knowledge of bible stories and saints and can express why they are an inspiration for their own lives.
  • All children from Yrs. 1-6 speak with confidence about what they know about their faith and how they are living this out in their own lives. 
Multi Faith Week 
As part of our commitment to teach pupils to show mutual respect to all and "recognise the presence of Christ in one another" all pupils learn about different faiths.
  • Year One - Hinduism
  • Year Two - Sikhism
  • Year Three - Christianity
  • Year Four - Judaism
  • Year Five - Islam
  • Year Six - Sikhism
 
Below is an example of some work completed during Multi Faith week. Activities included tasting foods, art activities, visiting a Synagogue and Harvington Hall, and learning about different signs and symbols.
 
Catholic Life and Environment Virtual Tour. 
 
We are very proud of the Catholic environment we have to help us all to be inspired to be the best people we can be to serve God.
Take a look at the powerpoint below showing some of the beautiful displays and areas around our school. 
Patron Saint Day - May Procession. 
The whole school joined together in prayer to celebrate our patron saint, Mary. We thought about how she inspires us and dedicated flowers and plants in thanksgiving to her. 
Vocations Week
The whole school dedicated a week to finding out about vocations and what this means to them. We started with an assembly to learn what vocations means and reflected on how we are all called individually, by our name, by God to serve him. We listened to bible stories and thought of saints that have inspired us by their callings. Throughout the week we have many exciting visitors who have talked to us about their vocation. Take a look at the pictures below. 
Vocation Dress Up Day
We all dressed up in the vocation we would like to be when we grow up. We have been so inspired by the visitors we have had this week. We raised money for Father Hudson's through donations.
Live Simply Award

Loving God, you made this beautiful world that we all share. 

Help us to live simply,  

and be thankful for all that you have given us 

Help us to look after our earth, 

So that everyone may enjoy it. 

Help us to share with others, 

so that everyone has what they need. 

Amen.  

 

This year we have signed up, as a school, to take part in the CAFOD Live Simply Award.

The Live Simply award is an opportunity for Catholic communities - parishes, schools, religious orders and chaplaincies - to respond to Pope Francis’ invitation to “work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world which God has entrusted to us”.

The Live Simply award is earned by communities and schools who can show how they have been living:

  •          simply
  •          in solidarity with people in poverty
  •          sustainably with creation.

During the course of the year, we will be taking part in a number of events, activities and projects to help us achieve the LiveSimply Award including supporting local charities, fundraising for CAFOD World Gifts, starting an Eco Stewards Group and celebrating events such as World Food Day.

Families, parents and carers can also take part in our LiveSimply Award by creating their own Family LiveSimply Pledge and sharing it at St Mary of the Angels Pledges

As the year progresses we will keep updating our Live Simply page with news and pictures of the exciting work we have been doing so make sure you visit this page again!

You can find out more about the LiveSimply Award at Live Simply for Schools

Autumn Term Update.
 

A Live Simply Advent and Christmas

This Advent and Christmas we are looking for different ways we can ‘Live Simply’ and help Care for Our Common Home.

One way we can live more simply is by looking at Christmas Card alternatives.

Did you know that if every child in a class of 30 wrote a card for all their classmates, there would be 870 cards written in just one class! For our school that could be more than 12,000 cards in total!

Nationally ONE BILLION CHRISTMAS CARDS are thrown in the bin each year – very often ending up in Landfill.

This year we are encouraging all members of our school community to – rather than sending individual Christmas Cards - look for a Christmas Card alternative. So each child will make a card for one child on behalf of the whole class.

You could also send your friends, class mates, teachers, LSAs… a virtual Christmas Card by visiting our new Merry Christmas padlet! St Mary of the Angels Christmas wishes
 
November 2022 Update
 

Live Simply Family Pledges

As part of our Live Simply work this year, we asked children and their families to create their own 'Live Simply Family Pledge!'

Over 30 families took part and made their own Pledge!

Our Family Pledges included:

 To walk to school every day rather than driving in the car.

 To help save water and turn the tap off when not using it. To recycle and donate my old clothes

You can read all our pledges here: St Mary of the Angels Pledges

 

Living Sustainably and Living Simply - Eco Warriors

As part of our Live Simply Award Action Plan we have Eco Warriors in each class.

The Eco Warriors promote the idea of living simply, for other and creation and with others and creation.  

The Warriors check that lights are switched off when the classroom is left empty, paper is put in the recycling bin, encourage the class not to leave litter on the playground, make bird feeders and plant bulbs in the garden – anything that helps promote the ethos and drive of the Live Simply Award!

See below for an example of their work.

Living in Solidarity 
The children received a letter of thanks from St Joseph's Nechells for their generosity at Christmas. A generous total of £289 was raised for the school children. See below for the letter received. 
 
Living Simply, in Solidarity and Sustainably.
As a result of the Mini Vinnie's idea to ask the school to not send Christmas cards to each other a  total of £120 was raised. This amounted to £18 for each class to spend on their chosen world gift. As a result one community peace gift, one soup kitchen, one vegetable garden and four Amazon fire fighter gifts were purchased. 
Spring Term Update
 
Lenten Sponsored Walk
 During Lent the school supported CAFOD to raise money for their global family who had been affected by the Turkey and Syrian earthquake. Over the six weeks each class has pledged to walk 1 mile each at least once to raise money and live in solidarity for their global family in Turkey and Syria. 
Living Sustainably.
The Eco Warriors have been thinking about the wildlife and making an environment they can thrive in.
They planted bee friendly seeds and used water from the water butt, we are saving water and looking after the eco-system
Lenten Appeal 
We had the pleasure of a visit from Brian martin from CAFOD who came to tell us all about how the money we raise will help our global family. It has inspired us to try walk a mile each to raise money for CAFOD. 
Living in Solidarity. 
Making connections with others is important for our wellbeing. So Year Six met the parishoners of St Mary of the Angels and shared their faith through talking about their Confirmation names and playing board games.There were lots of smiles and laughter.
For the Common Good and In Solidarity.
As a school community we raised £470 for our global family, in Turkey and Syria, by all walking a mile. 
Family Fast Day 
On Friday March 3rd we chose to swap our usual lunch for soup and a roll. The soup was delicious but whilst we were eating this we were think about all the children around the world who do not have enough food. We felt very grateful for the food we are given and through our solidarity, we raised £100 for CAFOD.
Living in Solidarity. 
The Mini Vinnies organised a Spring Fayre by motivating their class peers to organise and run a stall at the spring fayre. It was a great success , with cake stalls, sweets stalls , beat the goalie, guess the sweets in the jar and an Easter egg hunt. Everyone had a lovely time and the total raised was £600!
Living Sustainably.
The Mini Vinnies organised a book sale. The children were encouraged to recycle and reuse books that the had read or out grown. Children had great fun choosing new books to take home and through their actions they were working together to be sustainable. 
Summer Term - Living Sustainably
Eco warriors have been living sustainably by sowing wildflower seeds in the wellbeing garden to encourage the bees. 
Looking forward to seeing the garden in full bloom!
They created a sign  that says" Excuse the weeds we are looking after the bees."
In Solidarity 
During Laudato Si week we joined with other local primary and secondary schools to share what we have learned and actively done to live simply. It was interesting to learn from others.  
Eco Warriors as Stewards of God's World. 
 
The Eco warriors have been preparing the soil ready to plant Strawberry plants.
Eco Warriors at Work ! 
The Eco warriors have been busy being stewards of God's world. They have  grown poppies from a very tiny seed and planted pansies and tidied the garden up for everyone to enjoy and  the "common good."
 
Summer Term - Update 
 
Year 1 and 2 have been planting flowers dedicated to Mary. They have been stewards of God's creation by weeding and watering the plants.
Year 2 planted herbs for the school cook to use so that we can live sustainably.
They have also been planting seeds that will grow into flowers and have been learning that they will produce seeds to replant again next year. #livesustainably 
 
Year Four Eco Warriors
Year Four have been creating and developing a  wildlife area to encourage happy bees.
We have planted sunflowers, marigolds and poppies to feed the bees
 
Living Sustainably

Save Water Save the Planet , creating a Resilient Garden

Our climate is unpredictable and St Mary’s wish to focus on saving water and growing drought tolerant plants and vegetables.

The world God created is very precious and we need to save every single drop!

Saving rainwater is the best way to reduce water usage, so we have made a water butt linked to a shed. Bark and gravel are scattered on the soil to prevent evaporation of water from the soil.

The gardening team were very resilient, accepting each other's ideas and our wheelbarrow garden is resilient too, for different reasons Plants we chose to plant are:

  • Lamb’s ears
  • Cacti
  • French Lavender
  • Black eyed Susan- Thunbergia
  • Sedum
  • African daises
  • Carrots root vegetables need less water
  • Radishes
 
Live Sustainably.
 
The focus of our school art exhibition was "God's Creation and Living Sustainably". Through this each class created beautiful representations of God's creation and tried to use recycled materials. These included natural materials from the garden ( twigs, leaves), recycled paper, paper, plastics and egg cartons. The results were amazing and really captured the beauty of God's creation. It taught us all that resources do not need to be new and that the same effect can be achieved using recycled and reused materials. 
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The Eco Warriors held an assembly to remind the whole school how we have been trying to live more sustainably this year. We celebrated the ways we have achieved this and reminded everyone again about why this is so important to do.
Below is the powerpoint we shared.
Autumn Term 23 - The Season of Creation 
During the month of September we have been learning about and celebrating the Season of Creation. 
All classes have thought about why the world is  so beautiful and what they are grateful for and we have produced artwork and written work based around this theme. 
See below for some examples of work and photographs.
Each class created a mighty river using different media. We displayed these together to create a beautiful reminder of why water is so important and how we can all live in solidarity to look after God's world.
The Mini Vinnies led a beautiful prayer service to teach the whole school about why water and the mighty river is so important. we thought about the 7 key goals of Laudato Si and thought about how we could work in solidarity for the common good of all. Below is the script and the power point we shared.
Family Fast Day 
On Friday October 6th we chose to swap our usual lunch for soup and a roll. The soup was delicious but whilst we were eating this we were think about all the children around the world who do not have enough food. We felt very grateful for the food we are given and through our solidarity, we raised £100 for CAFOD. Below is the letter, written by the Mini Vinnies to explain why this was so important.
Living Simply 
To celebrate the Season of Creation and to praise God for his wonderful creation the whole school took part in a retreat called " Let all Creation Sing!". We praised God for the beauty of the creation and considered how we can look after it through our actions. We sang our hearts out to give thanks to God.
In Solidarity and Living Simply
We collected food for the local food bank and wore the colours of the continents we were praying the Rosary for during the month of October.
Lenten Charity Activity.
Each Friday in Lent we all donated tins, Easter eggs, treats and toiletries to the local food bank. We were overwhelmed by the generosity shown and the food bank was extremely grateful. They sent the following email to express their gratitude. 

Good morning Mrs Hayes
 
We are sending a BIG thank you to you and all the children and staff who donated Easter eggs and food and toiletries to us over the Easter period.  You provided children with lovely chocolate treats as well as good food and made their Easter a little brighter.  The eggs weighed in at just under 11kg and the food was 45kg which provided approximately 90 meals.  Well done to you all for doing something really significant for those who are in need.  May God bless you all.
 
Every blessing,
 
Liz McMeekin
Charity Manager
The Thomas Project
Stewards of God's World
The Gardening Club continue to be stewards of God's world by looking after the gardens in school. 
Take a look at the power point below to see what they have been doing.